Latest news with #VoxMedia
The Verge
6 days ago
- Business
- The Verge
NBCUniversal agrees to pay $3.6 million over Peacock cancellation lawsuit.
Posted Jul 16, 2025 at 10:22 PM UTC NBCUniversal agrees to pay $3.6 million over Peacock cancellation lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed by Los Angeles County, accused Peacock of making it difficult for users to unsubscribe from the service, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter . The county argued that Peacock violated California's newly amended click-to-cancel-style subscription law. As part of the settlement, Peacock will also have it make it easier for users to cancel their subscriptions. Disclosure : Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal , is also an investor in Vox Media, The Verge's parent company.
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
X CEO Steps Down: Did Yaccarino Fall Off The Glass Cliff?
Linda Yaccarino stepped down as CEO of X (Photo byfor Vox Media) Linda Yaccarino stepped down as CEO of X today, two years after she took on the role. 'After two incredible years, I've decided to step down as CEO of X. When @elonmusk and I first spoke of his vision for X, I knew it would be the opportunity of a lifetime to carry out the extraordinary mission of this company,' she wrote on the platform. She didn't say why she was stepping down. When Yaccarino was first named CEO, many labeled her a 'glass cliff' hire. The 'glass cliff' refers to a phenomenon where women are more likely to be appointed CEO in companies experiencing financial struggles. X was certainly struggling when Yaccarino was appointed. Musk had purchased the company six months before her arrival, and both users and advertisers were exiting the platform. Although Yaccarino was tapped to lead a company with problems, that doesn't necessarily mean she was put on a glass cliff. Is There Really A Glass Cliff For Female CEOs? The term 'glass cliff' was originally coined by researchers who found that struggling U.K. companies were more likely to appoint female board members. In order to delve further into this phenomenon, they completed a study in which they told 122 participants about a fictional supermarket chain. Half were told the chain was thriving, and half were told the chain was struggling. Then the participants were tasked with choosing a CEO for the chain and were given background information on two similar candidates, one man and one woman. If they thought the chain was doing poorly, the majority (63%) chose the female candidate. If they thought the chain was thriving, they were more likely (67%) to choose the man. Why would female CEO candidates be more desirable for struggling companies? In times of trouble, good communication skills and empathy are seen as key traits. Generally, women are thought to excel at these skills. Some also believe that hiring a woman signals change, something that struggling companies often want to project. At first, it may seem like a positive that women are brought in to run these companies, especially since there are so few female CEOs. However, many of these roles have impossible expectations and are merely setting the CEO up for failure. Recently, some researchers have questioned the validity of the glass cliff theory. While women are certainly hired to lead failing companies, they are also appointed to lead profitable businesses. The question is whether women are more likely to be brought into a struggling company than a thriving one. To answer this question, researchers examined all CEO appointments (over 10,000 of them) from 1998 to 2022 in publicly held companies in the U.S. Women were no more likely to be appointed CEO of a company with financial problems than a profitable one. In fact, the study revealed the opposite. As a company's finances improved, the chances that a woman would be appointed to CEO also increased. Yaccarino And The Short Tenure Of Female CEOs Whether women are generally more likely to get appointed to CEO in struggling companies or not, few could argue that Yaccarino took over at a challenging time at X. And, despite the chaos, she has made progress for the platform. She told the Financial Times last month that 96% of major advertisers had returned to the platform under her tenure. And, predicted that for the first time in four years, X will have revenue growth in 2025. Nonetheless, the platform still finds itself regularly at the center of controversy. As an example, just a day before Yaccarino resigned, Grok, X's AI chatbot, praised Adolf Hitler. The post was deleted, but some believe it may have contributed to Yaccarino's decision to leave. There's also a chance that Musk nudged out Yaccarino. Research shows that female CEOs are more likely than their male counterparts to be fired. According to Russell Reynolds' CEO Turnover Index, women CEOs are far more likely than their male counterparts to be fired in the first three years after their appointment. Other research indicates that female CEOs are 45% more likely to be terminated than male CEOs. While male CEOs are typically only let go when a company is underperforming, female CEOs can be fired whether the company is doing well or not. Regardless of whether female CEOs are fired or choose to leave on their own, they still spend less time at the helm. According to a 2023 analysis, male Fortune 500 CEOs had been at the helm for a median of 5 years, while the median tenure for women was only 3.8 years. Ultimately, the biggest issue facing women who aspire to climb the corporate ladder is the scarcity of women at the top. According to the Women's Business Collaborative, only 9% of CEOs of the largest companies in the U.S. are women. Today, there is one fewer.
The Verge
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Verge
The 10 Prime Day deals that are most popular with Verge readers
It may not surprise anyone who is tech-aware that publications such as The Verge track the affiliate links that are clicked by their readers — in fact, every article that links to a vendor has this statement on top: 'If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.' So we will be totally honest with you: we do have some idea of which products our readers are purchasing during Amazon Prime Day. (But no, we have no idea what you personally purchased.) And it can be interesting to see what the more popular products are — because they are definitely not all tech. In case you also find it as interesting as we do, these are some of the top products that you, our readers, have purchased during Prime Day through our site. It's typically difficult to find a sale on anything Apple, so when there's the chance to get $60 off on the latest gen of Apple's earbuds, a bunch of people are going to take advantage of it. Interestingly, Apple has two versions of its base model; the one that readers loved the most comes with active noise cancelling and costs $119 at Amazon. (The version without ANC but with the same good audio quality is also popular, but is further down this list.) It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who needs a portable charger that is truly portable — in other words, you can pop it into your bag or pocket and not feel as if you've just added several pounds to your load. I've had mine for several months now, and have found it a great addition to my day-to-day carry-alongs. The black version is the cheapest, costing $19.99 (originally $29.99) at Amazon. While $60 off of the latest AirPods is a good deal, it's the first time that we've seen $100 off of the Pro 2 version with the USB-C charging case. These have noise cancellation, along with even better sound quality and onboard volume controls. So those readers for whom those are must-haves are probably going for this one instead. What with the EPA suspending employees and rolling back rules protecting drinking water, it's probably a good idea to make sure the water you drink is properly filtered, even if you're not camping or traveling. The LifeStraw is a handy way to keep your water (even from natural fresh water sources) safe to drink; you can either use it at home, or take it with you while traveling. It removes bacteria, parasites, and other nasty things from water before it enters your body. I'm one of those people who seems to attract mosquitos — if I venture even close to any kind of mosquito-laden environment, I will emerge covered with irritating and itchy bumps. And some of our readers probably have the same problem, which will account for the popularity of the Thermacell rechargeable mosquito repeller. It's tough not to be tempted to buy one when it's down to $17.68 at Amazon. This rechargeable screwdriver has been a Verge favorite for several years — I'm not sure how many of us have one, but it's several — and our readers seem to like it as well. Which makes sense: anyone who is a hands-on do-it-yourselfer, or who even wants to make sure they can do minor fixes easier, will want to check this out. The kit includes a magnetic case and 25 steel bits. One of our editors, when he saw that these bag clips was on the list of our popular items, wondered if we should include them on this list — until another editor raised a virtual hand and said, 'Oh, I want 'em!' Anyway, apparently, a lot of our readers agree; these look like they can be incredibly handy for sealing the various packages (chips, cereal bags) that are prone to getting stale. This is a 12-pack, containing a variety of sizes. This reusable sealing rod locks air and moisture out to prevent your snacks from going stale, prevents freezer burn, and keeps food fresh longer. Another chance to get a deal on Apple's AirPods; this time, the simpler version, without active noise cancellation or wireless charging, but they've got good sound and if you're part of the Apple ecosystem, they're a good deal at $40 off. Apple's AirPods 4 are the latest update to its base-model wireless earbuds. The hard plastic buds should have improved audio quality and spatial audio with head tracking for the first time. Read our review. I've got an old-fashioned box cutter at home that I'm constantly pulling out — and that I've got to be very, very careful about, because if that blade doesn't go all the way back into its holder, somebody might end up with a nasty cut. Which is probably why this retractable, finger-friendly ceramic blade is so popular; especially if you're as fumble-fingered as I am. Slice's retractable, finger-friendly ceramic blade is great for tearing through packing tape and cutting plastic wrapping. The comfy tool also features a sturdy, reinforced nylon handle and a hooked design that makes it easy to stow when not in use. And back to Apple: the 11-inch M3 iPad Air (128GB Wi-Fi), which is not only at an all-time low price of $538.99 ($139 off) for Prime Day, but includes two years of AppleCare factored into the price (it's $479 without this perk). According to reviewer David Pierce, the main difference between this and its predecessor is that it runs on an M3 chip. Otherwise, it's simply an excellent tablet. The 11-inch M3 iPad Air, Apple's latest midrange tablet, is an excellent choice for most people, and this Prime Day deal includes two years of AppleCare Plus. Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox weekly.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vox Media Workers Ratify New 3-Year Collective Bargaining Agreement With WGA East, Successfully Recognizing ‘Thrillist' & ‘The Dodo'
Workers at Vox Media represented by the Writers Guild of America East have officially ratified their first union contract, and details of the agreement have now been publicly shared. The 250-member unit voted unanimously to approve the three-year collective bargaining agreement, the union said Friday morning. More from Deadline Producer Scott Budnick Details How Hollywood Got California Lawmakers To Agree On Film & TV Tax Credit Program Expansion California Legislators Approve $750M Funding For Film & TV Tax Credit Program WGA East Ratifies First Union Contract With Nonfiction Producer Story Syndicate Nearly 2 Years After Organizing Workers The WGA East had been fighting to bring all Vox Media workers across various verticals under one union contract, which they said the company had been resisting, prompting the talks to grow contentious. The two sides narrowly avoided a strike by securing a tentative deal just over two weeks ago — and it looks like the union got what it wanted. Members working at PopSugar, The Dodo and Thrillist will be covered under this collective bargaining agreement. Those from Thrillist and The Dodo will also receive backpay from April 2024 and May 2024, respectively, per the 2024 Vox Media Union contract wage increases, the union said Friday. The Vox Media Union also includes the editorial staff at The Verge, Eater, Punch, SB Nation, and Vox Media Podcast Network. In a statement Friday, the negotiating committee said it is 'so proud to have fought and won this contract that betters the lives of all of our members.' In addition, the contract also secures protections against generative AI and use of digital replicas, as well as a newly designed layoff process that includes two weeks of paid non-working notice, plus a minimum of 12 weeks of severance. See more of the contract details below. Guaranteed general wage increases: Year 1: 5% for salaries under $106K, 4% for salaries over $106k; Years 2 & 3: 3.25% for salaries under $106K, 2.75% for salaries over $106k; A new salary floor of $70,000 for overtime exempt employees and $68,000 for overtime eligible employees; Protections from Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI): No layoffs solely from the use or implementation of GAI; Any GAI generated material will go through standard editorial review processes, and the use of any GAI generated material will include the public disclosure of use of such tools; Reasonable advance notice of actual implementation of any new tool or system that will meaningfully impact employees; Employees may decline to be credited on any content where GAI was used; Protections against use of digital replicas; A new layoff process that will involve two weeks of paid non-working notice, plus a minimum of 12 weeks of severance; Maintains unlimited PTO policy, with the encouragement to take at least 25 days off per year (up from 20 days); 12 bereavement/pregnancy loss days (up from 10) In addition to Vox Media, the WGA East also represents several other outlets via its Online Media Sector including the Bustle Digital Group, Civic News Group, CNET, Committee to Protect Journalists, Fast Company, Future PLC, Gizmodo Media Group, Hearst Magazines, HuffPost, Inc., Jewish Currents, NowThis, Onion Inc., Refinery29, Salon, Slate, Talking Points Media, The Dodo, The Intercept, Thrillist, and VICE. Deadline parent company Penske Media Corporation has a stake in Vox Media. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Soundtrack: From Griff To Sabrina Carpenter
The Verge
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
What Meta and Anthropic really won in court
A lot of the future of AI will be settled in court. From publishers to authors to artists to Hollywood conglomerates, the creative industry is picking a big copyright fight over the vast quantities of data used to train AI models — and the ultimate output of those models. (Disclosure: Vox Media, The Verge's parent company, has a technology and content deal with OpenAI.) This week, we got rulings in two early cases, involving groups of authors suing Anthropic and Meta. In both cases, the tech companies won. Sort of. On this episode of The Vergecast, Nilay, David, and Jake talk a lot about the twin rulings this week, and whether the AI companies may have won the battle without winning the war. But before we get to all that, there's some other tech news to talk about! We run through the first few days of the Tesla robotaxi rollout and the latest on the Trump Phone, both of which are going about as you'd expect. We talk about the new Fairphone 6 and Titan 2, two fascinating but maybe slightly niche ideas about smartphones. And we talk about Meta's new face computers, one made with Xbox and one made with Oakley. Subscribe: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Overcast | Pocket Casts | More After that, The Verge's Adi Robertson joins the show to dig into the AI cases. We talk through the ways the plaintiffs failed to make the right arguments, and why the judges in both cases appear desperate for someone to come in and do better. We talk about the difference between buying books and pirating them, between inputs and outputs, and the actual creative risks that come from flooding the internet with AI slop. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for another round of Brendan Carr is a Dummy, some debatably huge news about HDMI, and the end of the Blue Screen of Death. The blue-ness of it, at least. If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, beginning with the gadgets of the week: And in AI lawsuit news: And in the lightning round:
